Strip-dispensing mechanism for coil-wrapping machines



Sept. 2, 1941. H. w. BROWN 2,254,934

STRIP-DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR COIL-WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 2, 1941. H W, BRQWN STRIP-DISPENSING MECHANISM FOR COIL-WRAPPING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2, 1940 In ven/ 7'.'

Patented Sept. 2, 1941 STRIP-DISPENSING MECHANISM COIL-WRAPPIN G MACHINES Foa l Harry'W. Brown, Saxonville,-Mass., assig'nor to Edward H. 'Angien Framingham, Mass., as

trustee Application August 2, 1940, Serial No.. 349,531.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for wrapping with strip material open-centered articles, such as coils of wire, rolls of metal strip, vehicle tires and other objects of toric form, which Vfor convenience I shall herein refer to as coils, and more particularly to mechanism for controlling the paying out o-f the wrapping strip during the wrapping operation. The invention provides an improved arrangement permitting a given machine to handle a greater range of sizes than is now possible and permitting a rapid adjustment for sizes. The invention also contemplates the provision of a mechanism which will make possible the use of strip material packaged in rolls without any central core and-provides for easy changing of such rolls.

The invention will be well understood by reference to the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown by Way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. l is an end elevation of a wrapping machine exemplifying the invention, various parts being omitted for clearness and parts broken away;

Fig. 2' is an elevation on an enlarged scale of the strip dispensing mechanism proper; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail View of a portion thereof as seen from the left of Fig. 2.

In Fig. l I have shown a wrapping machine of known type comprising a revolving shuttle or wrappinghead 6 in the form of an incomplete annulus suspended exteriorly by the rolls 8 and herein frictionally driven from two of these rolls, those at the right hand inV Fig. l, which are themselves driven by a friction disc j| taking motion from an electric motor I2 on the base I4 of the machine. The coil C may be supported on a pair of rolls I6, one -of which appears in Fig. 1, and is held upright thereon by suitable devices of which I have illustrated lateral supporting rolls I8 which, however, are shown broken away in order not to obscure other elements. The machine illustrated is of the type wherein the coil is wrapped at the top and the rolls I6 and cooperating mechanism support the coil with its upperportion interlinked with the shuttle, the coil being inserted through gap 28 in the shuttle. 'I'he end of the wrapping strip S carried by the shuttle is applied to the coil, and when the latter is revolved by the supporting rolls I6, which are driven in the usual manner by means not necessary to illustrate or describe in detail, and at the same time the shuttle is revolved the strip is drawn off from the latter and wrapped helically as of heavy craped paper, a material commonly used.

The tension 'on' the strip duringr the operation of such a wrapping machine is an irregular one, due in part to the fact that the usual cross section of the coil is not circular, and ordinarily it hasbeen considered desirable to center the portion of the coil being wrapped relatively to the shuttle. Relative adjustment between the coil and the shuttle is effected in the machine illustrated by mounting the supporting rolls 8 of the shuttle on a frame pivoted at 22 at the center of the driving disc ll! so that the entire frame may be swung bodily to raise and lower the center point of the shuttle in an approximately vertical direction, the frame being secured in adjusted position by means of the clamping bolt Y 24 working in an arcuate slot 26 in the frame 2l).

The range of work which may behandled by a, machine constructed as just described is a somewhat limited one. Usually the strip is packaged in the form of a roll R and is mounted on a spindle placed substantially half-way between the inner and outer diameters of the shuttle, that is, substantially on the mean circumference. The roll R ordinarily would be of a diameter greater than the face width of the shuttle when new to permit as large a supply as possible -to be dispensed without the necessity of changing the rolls, but in the drawings the roll R is shown as of very small diameter so as not to obscure other parts of the mechanism and represents the condition Where a considerable portion of the supply of wrapping strip has been used. The opening in the center of the coil C or like article must at any rate be such as to pass the shuttle and in the case of a coil of small diameter the roll must. not strike theinner surface of the lower portion of the coil and in the case of a coil of large diameter it must not strike the outer surface of the upper portion. The cross section of the coil being wrapped is also a factor to be considered. While coils of a section just small enough to passthe gap 28 of the shuttle could be introduced in the machine, they could not heretofore ordinarily be wrapped because they would interfere with the supply roll for the strip.

I herein provide greater utility for such a machine as has been described by providing a coabout the coil. The strip S is here illustrated operating adjustment of the roll itself in connection with means permitting the control of the supply independently for all relative positions of roll and coil, all of which may be termed a tensionv mechanism and whichl may be, as herein shown, organized as a unit on a plate or base 3B Cil arcuate slot 40 which permits the plate 34 to bei'- swung about the pivot and clamped in desired position so that the center of the roll may be positioned to move in a path substantially dif-v ferent from the mean circumference of the shuttle. Such bodily movement ofthe roll-supporting means is facilitated by the fact that I do not attempt to control the movement of the roll as usual by control of the spindle on which it is mounted, and hence the spindle 32 may be a mere pin about which the roll turns to pay out the strip irrespective of the position of thejrollrelative to the center of the shuttle. Also the roll need not have any core, the omission of which is the most desirable economy.

The strip S is here shown as leading from the. roll through a tension device embodying a pair of bars 42 about which the strip may be selectively threaded and through an edge folding mechanism all, here illustrated as of shown in the patent to Wheildon 1,692,236, and leaves the shuttle over a terminal guide roller 4B and passes inwardly to the article being wrapped. To control the roll R on the spindle 32 and also to hold it in position thereon I provide an arm 4S pivoted on a stud 50 and having a broad face engaging the side of the roll, as best seen in Fig. 3, the arm being pressed against the same by spring 52. The outer side of this arm is provided with a flange 54 which overlies the outer base of the roll and holds it in position on the overhanging spindle 32. The arm is herein shown as provided also with an extending lug 53 forming a handle. To load the machine the handle 5B may be grasped and the arm 48 swung counterclockwise, viewing Fig. 2. The roll, which, as has been explained, preferably has no core but is a mere strip of paper coiled up on itself with a central opening or eye of approximately the diameter of the spindle 32, is placed over the latter by a mere movement of approach, and when the arm 48 is released, the flange 54 will overlie the base of the roll and retain it in position While the arm presses against the periphery of the roll and prevents it from spinning.

I have here shown as pivoted on the same center as the guide roller 4E an arm 58 having attached thereto a spring 6i) which normally tends to swing it counterclockwise against stop 62, as shown in Fig. 2. Projecting from the end of this arm is a roller 64 adapted to engage laterally the strip as it extends between the guide roller 4B and the coil and to be displaced thereby against the action of the spring 60, as illustrated in Fig. 1. This roller thus constitutes a dance roll, and if, for example, on account of the non-circular cross section of the article being wrapped there is a sudden change in the speed of drawing off the Wrapping strip tending to slacken the same, the slack is released to the action of the spring 6E which takes it up.

In the case of a coil of large cross section the plate 3d with the roll thereon may be adjusted outwardly to the position shown in the drawings,

the type bringing the roll, even when of much larger size than illustrated, into a path which Will clear the exterior surface of the coil. In the case of a very small coil the upper portion thereof may be positioned relatively low in the shuttle below the center thereof. Adjustment of the roll in this instance may be such that it will just clear theinner periphery of the lower portion of the coil. While the roll is then moving eccentrically about the part of the article being Wrapped, I have found that the control shown permits the dance roll. B4 to control the movement of the strip so that an even application thereof to the article vbeing wrapped is effected.

' Il am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

' `Iclailn:

l. Strip dispensing mechanism for the revolving shuttle of a coil wrapping machine embodying means for supporting and rotating the coil through the eye of the shuttle and means for supporting and revolving the shuttle providing for moving the same bodily with reference to the coil comprising a member having means for attaching it to the face of the shuttle and having projecting in overhanging relation from the face thereof a spindle for receiving a roll of wrapping strip, said attaching means providing for adjustment of the member in the plane of revolution of the shuttle to permit substantial differentiation between the path of a roll on said spindle and the path of the shuttle.

2. Strip ldispensing mechanism for the revolving shuttle of a coilwrapping machine embodying means for supporting and rotating the coil through the eye of the shuttle and means for supporting and revolving the shuttle providing formoving the same bodily with reference to the coil comprising a member having means for attaching it to the face ofthe shuttle and having projecting in overhanging relation from the face thereof a spindle for receiving a roll of wrapping strip, said attaching means providing for adjustment of the member in the plane of revolution of the shuttle to-perniit substantial differentiation between the path of v a roll on said spindle and the path of the shuttle, and a dance roll engaging the strip as it leads from said member to the coil being Vwrappedso that the strip passes immediately from said dance roll to the coil for cooperation with the strip as it passes to the article being wrapped.

3. Strip dispensing mechanism for the revolving shuttle of a coil wrapping machine permitting utilization of a coreless roll of strip comprisinga spindle having a free end over which the roll may be placed to turn thereon, a springpressed arm opposing the side of a roll so placed and having a flange to overlie the base of the roll, mechanism at the outgoing side through which/the strip may lead adapted to place a substantial restraint on the unwinding thereof, and a dance roll positioned to'engage the bight of the strip between said mechanism and the coil being wrapped.

4., In a machine for Wrapping a coil or the lik/e helically with strip comprising a revolving shuttle andmeans for supporting and rotating a coil through the eye of the shuttle, the machine having' provision for adjusting the relative spacing of the centers of the shuttle and coil, a device mounted on the shuttle for supporting a supply of Wrapping strip to pay out therefrom in all positions of said device, the mounting providing for the selective positioning thereof throughout a Wide range of positions at different distances from the center of the shuttle.

5. In a machine for wrapping a coil or the like helically with strip comprising a revolving shuttle and means for supporting and rotating a coil through the eye of the shuttle, the machine having provision for adjusting the relative spacing of the centers of the shuttle and coil, a device mounted on the shuttle for supporting a supply of wrapping strip to pay out therefrom in all positions of said device, the mounting providing for the selective positioning thereof throughout a wide range of positions at different distances from the center of the shuttle, a guide on the shuttle over` which the strip may be led from the shuttle to the coil, and a spring-pressed swinging arm on the shuttle having a roll laterally to engage the strip so led between the shuttle and the coil.

6. In a machine for wrapping a coil or the like helically with strip comprising a revolving shuttle and means for supporting and rotating a coil through the eye of the shuttle, a spindle projecting from the face of the shuttle having a free end over which a supply of Wrapping strip in the form of an open-centered roll may be freely placed, an, arm having a Wide end portion opposing the side of a roll so placed and a flange to overlie the outer base of the roll, a spring tending to move the arm toward the spindle, a roller about which the strip leads from the shuttle to the coil, and a swinging spring-pressed arm having a roller carried thereby for laterally engaging the strip between the first mentioned roller and the coil.

HARRY W. BROWN.

CERTFCATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,25U.,'95L|.. September 2, 1911.1.

HARRY w. BRowN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the 4printed specification of the'above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second-column, lines 56, 57, 58, strike out the words "for cooperation withv the strip as it passes to the article being wrapped" Y and that the said Letters Patent vshouldbe read with this correction therein that the s'ame may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Offiee.

Signed and sealedthis 28th day of October, A. D.A 1914.1.

Henry Van-Arsda1e, n (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

